This invention relates to vibratory conveyors and, more particularly, to an improvement in a vibratory conveyor of the type including an elongate unitized container, which can be vibrated as a free mass at a selected frequency and stroke by drive means comprising a motor having weights eccentrically mounted on its output shaft and that is interconnected by yieldable means to elongate counterbalance means located opposite one long side of the container with the long central axis thereof arranged generally parallel to that of the container.
The improvement of the present invention is particularly beneficial when incorporated into an elongate version of a vibratory conveyor of the type illustrated in FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,457 that is to be mounted in the upper levels of a building rather than secured to earth. Under such circumstances, it has, in the past, been common practice to provide such a vibratory conveyor with elongate counterbalance means, rather than with the conventional base member which is shown and described in the aforenoted FIG. 3 of the aforenoted U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,457. And, heretofore, such counterbalance means has consisted of an elongate unitized counterbalance member which has been located opposite one long side of the elongate unitized container with its long central axis arranged generally parallel to that of the container.
This just-described prior-art arrangement has been generally satisfactory for such vibratory conveyors wherein the length of the elongate unitized container therefor has not exceeded thirty feet. However, considerable problems have been encountered with it wherein the length of the elongate unitized container of the vibratory conveyor was greater than thirty feet. More specifically, the opposite ends and centers of both the elongate unitized container and the elongate unitized counterbalance member tended to deflect or bend relative to their respective long central axes and thus cause loss of conveyability of the materials carried by the container.
In accordance with the improvement that is provided by the present invention, it has been found that these just-noted problems can be overcome by employing for the elongate counterbalance means of a vibratory conveyor of the aforedescribed type plural counterbalance sections rather than a single elongate counterbalance member.